Kernel drivers are often used to control various low-level functions of a computer. In some cases, these kernel drivers have an interface to allow management by a user. Some of theses driver user interfaces are command line interfaces (CLIs), which allow a user to enter a text-based command to be performed by the kernel driver. The CLI typically executes on the same machine as the kernel driver itself.
Some CLIs are designed to operate on a machine remote from a separate host running a particular kernel driver. Thus, when a user enters in a command, the CLI forwards the command across a network to the remote host for execution by the kernel driver.